How to Turn Your Ph.D. Thesis into a Successful Book

It is beneficial to undertake research as part of a PhD. It is beneficial to both the researcher, who has invested countless hours in the effort, and those determining whether the research should lead to the award of a PhD degree. However, can larger audiences benefit from the study? The short answer is yes; research done as part of a PhD is at the core of many successful academic books.

What choices to think about before publishing your Ph.D. thesis as a book?

The vast majority of the time, journal articles are used to publish PhD research. The research is occasionally written up in a book. When it comes to sharing Ph.D. research, there are many possibilities to take into account between the two ends of the publishing spectrum:

• Your PhD thesis must address a subject that will be of interest to a sizable enough group of academics in order to be turned into a book in its entirety. A book, as opposed to a thesis, starts with an answer and communicates its significance in the larger research environment while also documenting its progress and impact.
• It is necessary to do ongoing and/or collaborative research in order to use portions of a PhD thesis in a book. A book should be more than the sum of its components (perhaps coauthored).
• The study will fit with related research on a related theme if a portion of a PhD thesis is included in an edited book on a larger subject. By working with a group of authors, a well-edited book meets the need to widen the area of PhD-based research.

• By putting smaller bets on different portions of the study, a PhD can hedge their bets by dividing their PhD thesis into multiple articles for publications. The benefits of this hedging can be lost in the PhD research’s broader narrative once it is unbundled.

What do editors consider while determining whether to publish you?

It is the responsibility of the book publisher to link writers and readers. This connection is crucial for sharing research that was the result of a PhD. Therefore, when deciding which publication method to utilize, it is helpful to take the publisher’s viewpoint into account. A smart publisher will first ask themselves three questions when evaluating a proposal for a research-level book:

1. Is the research’s field of study sufficiently broad to be interesting to our readers (world scholars)? Example
2. Is the quality good enough?
3. Can the work be improved by receiving professional criticism as part of the book review procedure to correct any flaws?

Beyond these fundamental inquiries, prospective authors should additionally take into account considerable and continuous modifications to the academic book industry, particularly in reader behavior. The way books are created, published, and disseminated has changed as a result of advancements in digital technology and a considerable rise in the amount of research that is now available. “Discoverability” is the fundamental concept in this setting. Publishers must assist the discoverability of research using a variety of channels to ensure that potential readers can easily access books in order to connect authors with readers. Authors can help this process along by adhering to a few simple guidelines:

• The book’s primary title should identify it properly without referencing any other bibliographical details and should be as succinct as possible.

• In addition, chapter titles should, whenever possible, present themselves clearly.

• Chapter summaries or abstracts can be used to improve book metadata.

Preparing your final draft for publication as a book

A book contract would then be given once the editorial board of the publisher gave its final approval to move forward after a review procedure. The author can then proceed to construct a comprehensive paper based on their PhD research after receiving publisher and reviewer comments. While there are many important factors to take into account while producing a final draft for book publication, every book is distinct. Above all, keep your audience in mind at all times.

• A book is prepared for scholars in general, and a thesis is written for examiners. Anything that is primarily helpful to examiners (such as a methodological talk or literature review) should be removed or severely altered.
• Regardless of the writing style, examiners will read through the material; book readers will not. As a result, substantial rewriting will probably be needed to keep readers interested.
• Retrace your steps. Be prepared to reconsider the structure and consider the overarching story of the work. This can be liberating.
• Respect the time of the reader. Wherever you can simplify; the thesis frequently contains repetition. Bear in mind the predetermined length of the book.
• Add a global or cross-disciplinary perspective, especially in the introductory and final chapters, if the research has a limited scope.